Newly appointed Mamelodi Sundowns coach, Miguel Cardoso, has addressed concerns about his apparent lack of major silverware in previous roles. While his CV showcases a Tunisian Premier League title with Esperance de Tunis, it’s also marked by several near-misses.
Cardoso, however, argues that trophies aren’t the sole measure of a coach’s success. “This discussion is really interesting because we live in a society and sport where people judge the CV’s by trophies, but sometimes they forget that, in order to win, you not only need to be in the context where you can truly fight to win, but also sometimes winning is not only about getting trophies,” said Cardoso.
He pointed to his achievements with Shakhtar Donetsk’s U19 team, Braga in the Europa League, and Esperance in the CAF Champions League final. “We won zero – I’m speaking about U19 Shakhtar Donetsk, I’m speaking about Europa League with Braga, I’m speaking of Champions League final with Esperance,” he noted.
“My God, being in those finals is such a big trophy that, when you look at my CV, don’t judge because we lost that game, judge it because we won to arrive there.
“For you, probably to be here, there are many journalists that didn’t arrive where you are, and probably you are not on the best TV channel, or on the best journal, but you are there because no one gave you this opportunity.”
Cardoso’s perspective highlights the often-overlooked aspects of a coach’s career: the challenges overcome, the lessons learned, and the impact made on players and teams.